Doujou in Chinese / Japanese...

道場 is the Japanese term for a room or hall in which martial arts are taught.

道場 is often spelled “dojo” which has become a word in the English lexicon. However, the true Romaji is doujou or dōjō.

Please note: The Chinese definition of these characters is quite different. In Chinese, this is a place where Buddhist or Taoist mass is held. It could also be a place where spiritual or psychic events are performed.

初心 is often translated in Japanese as “beginner's mind” or “beginner's spirit.”

In Chinese, the dictionary definition is “one's original intention.”

The first character means first, initial, primary, junior, beginning, or basic.

The second character means heart, mind, soul, or essence.

初心 is one of the five spirits of the warrior (budo) and is often used as a Japanese martial arts tenet. Under that context, places such as the Budo Dojo define it this way: The state of shoshin is that of a beginners mind. It is a state of awareness that always remains fully conscious, aware, and prepared to see things for the first time. The attitude of shoshin is essential to continued learning.

These two characters mean compassion and sympathy in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean, which makes this word universal.

Compassion is caring and understanding someone is hurt or troubled (even if you don't know them). It is wanting to help, even if all you can do is listen and say kind words. You forgive mistakes. You are a friend when someone needs a friend.

See Also:  Caring | Kindness

This word has a few possible meanings.

It can refer to a room, hall, or place (a dojo or small theater). The dictionary suggests that in some context, this can refer to a special geisha who is talented in certain musical arts.

First off, 殘心 should only be used in the context of Japanese martial arts. In Chinese, it's a rather sad title (like a broken heart). In Chinese, the first character alone means destroyed, spoiled, ruined, injured, cruel, oppressive, savage, incomplete, or disabled. However, in Japanese, it's remainder, leftover, balance, or lingering.
The second character means heart, mind, soul, or essence in both languages.

殘心 is one of the five spirits of the warrior (budo) and is often used as a Japanese martial arts tenet. Under that context, places such as the Budo Dojo define it this way: The spirit of zanshin is the state of the remaining or lingering spirit. It is often described as a sustained and heightened state of awareness and mental follow-through. However, true zanshin is a state of focus or concentration before, during, and after the execution of a technique, where a link or connection between uke and nage is preserved. Zanshin is the state of mind that allows us to stay spiritually connected, not only to a single attacker but to multiple attackers and even an entire context; a space, a time, an event.

In modern Japan (and Simplified Chinese), they use a different version of the first character, as seen to the right. Click on this character to the right instead of the button above if you want this modern Japanese version of lingering mind / zanshin.

In Japanese, 無心 means innocent or without knowledge of good and evil. It literally means “without mind.”

無心 is one of the five spirits of the warrior (budo) and is often used as a Japanese martial arts tenet. Under that context, places such as the Budo Dojo define it this way: “No mind, a mind without ego. A mind like a mirror which reflects and dos not judge.” The original term was “mushin no shin,” meaning “mind of no mind.” It is a state of mind without fear, anger, or anxiety. Mushin is often described by the phrase “Mizu no Kokoro,” which means “mind like water.” The phrase is a metaphor describing the pond that clearly reflects its surroundings when calm but whose images are obscured once a pebble is dropped into its waters.

This has a good meaning in conjunction with Chan / Zen Buddhism in Japan. However, out of that context, it means mindlessness or absent-mindedness. To non-Buddhists in China, this is associated with doing something without thinking.
In Korean, this usually means indifference.

Use caution and know your audience before ordering this selection.

More info: Wikipedia: Mushin

道場訓 or Dōjō-kun is a Japanese martial arts term meaning “training hall rules.”

道場訓 is the rules or doctrine of the dojo.

You will see this often in the form of a list of roles and expectations posted near the front entrance of a dojo.

This is the title Dōjōchō in Japanese.

The rough meaning is “Dojo Administrator” or “Dojo Boss.”

剛柔館 is the martial arts style Gojukan or Goju-Kan.

The meaning is “hardness [and] softness hall.”

剛 = Hard, firm, or strong.
柔 = Soft, softness, flexible, supple, yielding, gentleness, or pliant.
館 = Hall, building, school room, or an alternate word for a dojo.

古武館 is the martial arts style Kobukan or Kobu-Kan.

The meaning is “ancient warrior hall.”

古 = Old, ancient, antique, or paleo-
武 = Martial, warrior, or military.
館 = Hall, building, school room, or an alternate word for a dojo.

弘道館 is a Japanese title that romanizes as Kodokan.

There are a few martial arts titles that are romanized as Kodokan, so be careful to choose the correct one. This one kind of means “Great Way Hall.”

In the old Buddhist context, the 弘 Kanji can mean vast, great, to enlarge, spread abroad, or widely to proclaim.

The 道 part is the “Way,” as seen in many martial arts titles. It is the root character of Taoism/Daoism (romanized as Tao or Dao from Chinese, but Do in Japanese).

The 館 or hall part is implied to be a dojo or place of learning.

不動心 is one of the five spirits of the warrior (budo) and is often used as a Japanese martial arts tenet.

Under that context, places such as the Budo Dojo define it this way: An unshakable mind and an immovable spirit is the state of fudoshin. It is courage and stability displayed both mentally and physically. Rather than indicating rigidity and inflexibility, fudoshin describes a condition that is not easily upset by internal thoughts or external forces. It is capable of receiving a strong attack while retaining composure and balance. It receives and yields lightly, grounds to the earth, and reflects aggression back to the source.

Other translations of this title include imperturbability, steadfastness, keeping a cool head in an emergency, or keeping one's calm (during a fight).

The first two Kanji alone mean immobility, firmness, fixed, steadfastness, motionless, and idle.

The last Kanji means heart, mind, soul, or essence.

Together, these three Kanji create a title defined as “immovable mind” within the context of Japanese martial arts. However, in Chinese, it would mean “motionless heart,” and in Korean Hanja, “wafting heart” or “floating heart.”

光道館 is Kodokan.

This is the title of an Aikido dojo, studio, or hall.

Be careful in selecting the correct Kodokan, as there are a few different titles that romanize as Kodokan.

Here's how the characters break down in meaning for this one:
1. Light / Bright
2. Way / Path (the Tao/Dao as in Taoism/Daoism)
3. Schoolroom / Building / Establishment / Mansion / Hall (of learning)

Altogether, you get something like “The Path of Light Establishment.”

孝心館 is the title for Koushinkan, Koshinkan, or Kōshin-Kan.

The romanization of this title varies a little, but the original characters are the same.

孝 = Filial piety or obedience.
心 = Heart, mind, intention, or center.
馆 = Building or establishment (dojo).

This can be pronounced in Chinese and has the same meaning, but you should consider this a Japanese martial arts title.

武芸者 is the Japanese Kanji title for “Martial Arts Master.” It suggests that you have reached at least the level of black belt and are probably to the level where you are ready to become an instructor.

Please consider carefully where you stand before ordering this phrase on a wall scroll. If you are not a master, this will make you look a bit foolish.

If you want to get this as a gift for your master at the dojo. Try to discreetly make sure this term is used in your school. Different schools and styles of Japanese martial arts use different terms. You may notice in the Romaji that the last two characters romanize as “geisha” which means “person skilled in arts” (what a geisha girl really is). The title here has the character for “martial,” “warrior,” and/or “military” in front of it. Therefore the literal translation is “martial art person.”

These Kanji are valid Chinese characters and Korean Hanja, but this title does not really make sense in Chinese and is not often used in Korean, though a Chinese or Korean would be able to guess the meaning by looking at the first and last characters.

養神館 is the Japanese title, Yōshinkan.

Yoshinkan literally means “Hall of Spirit Cultivation.”

Yoshinkan Aikido is a martial arts style developed after World War II in the Yoshinkan Dojo.

旧弘道館 is the Japanese title, Kyukodokan.

kind of means “Old Great Way Hall.” The hall part is kind of implied to be a dojo or place of learning.

天心道場 is the title Tenshin Dojo in Japanese Kanji.

The meaning of 天心 is the center of the sky, will of heaven, will of the Gods, the monarch's will, zenith, divine will, or providence.

In modern Japanese, 真剣勝負 means to take something very seriously.

The literal and historical meaning is “real sword battle.” In old times, a Samurai apprentice would practice with a wooden practice sword. Once trained and qualified, they would wield a real steel sword made for battle and killing. They were ready for a “death match” or Shinken Shobu.

真剣 is an adjective that has come to mean serious/earnest. The literal translation is “real sword.”

勝負 in the simplest terms, means match, contest, game, or bout. Depending on the context, it could also mean victory or defeat, winning and losing, or the outcome of a battle.

There is a suggestion in Shinken Shobu that you train with serious and real intent, as we should train with the same fervor and dedication as if the battle was real. “Train as we fight.”

See Also:  The More We Sweat in Training the Less We Bleed in Battle | Cry in the Dojo - Laugh on the Battlefield

団結空手道 is the title for Danketsu Karate-Do, a dojo located in Stroudsburg, PA.

団結 (danketsu) means union, unity, or combination.

空手道 (karate-do) means “empty hand way.”

If you need you martial arts school/dojo/academy added to my database, just give me the info (actual Chinese/Japanese text if you have it).

一心会 is the Japanese martial arts title “Isshinkai” or “Isshin-Kai.”

It literally means “One Heart Association” or “Single-Heart Club.” This title is often associated with Isshin-Ryu Aikido and Isshin-Ryu Karate-Do. This title is appropriate for the name of a dojo that teaches these styles.

沖縄剛柔館 is the martial arts style Okinawan Gojukan or Okinawan Goju-Kan.

The meaning is “Okinawa hardness [and] softness hall.”

沖縄 = Okinawa.
剛 = Hard, firm, or strong.
柔 = Soft, softness, flexible, supple, yielding, gentleness, or pliant.
館 = Hall, building, school room, or an alternate word for a dojo.

押忍の精神 is the name Osu No Seishin or “Spirit of Osu” in Japanese.

This Spirit of Osu is an essential concept in Karate. You will hear “Osu!” shouted in every Karate dojo which is not just a sign of respect and obedience to the Sensei but also means patience, determination, and perseverance. Shouting “Osu!” serves as a reminder to embody these qualities.

心養会 is the title for Shinyō-kai or Shinyōkai - a style of Karate-Dō.

Added for the Mind Body Dojo in El Cerritos, CA.

If you translate this directly, the meaning is Heart/Mind Nurturing Association.

武士道館道場 is the title Bushidokan Dojo.

一心流空手道 is the full title for Isshin-Ryu Karate-Do.

The literal meaning is “one heart method empty hand way.”

There are other ways to translate this, but if you are looking for this title, you already know that.

This would make a great wall scroll for your dojo or private studio if you study this form of Japanese (technically from Okinawa) Karate.

Because this is a specifically-Japanese title, I strongly recommend that you select our Japanese Master Calligrapher to create this artwork.

小林流翔武館 is the title, Shorin-Ryu Shobukan meaning “Little Forest Style - Soaring Warrior House” in Japanese.

There is more than one version of Shorin-Ryu and Shobukan, so make sure the characters here match the ones used at your dojo.

道場へようこそ or “Dōjō e yōkoso” means “Welcome to the dojo” or “welcome to [our] dojo” in Japanese.

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

道場で泣き戦場で笑う is a Japanese phrase that means “Cry in the dojo, laugh on the battlefield.”

You'll see this phrase in a lot of dojos as a kind of philosophical joke.

Note: Because this selection contains some special Japanese Hiragana characters, it should be written by a Japanese calligrapher.

See Also:  The More We Sweat in Training the Less We Bleed in Battle